Tap structure for reactive device



Dec. 30, 1958 R. D. MEES HAL TAP STRUCTURE FOR REACTIVE DEVICE Filed Dec. 29, 1953 2,866,955 TAP STRUCTURE FOR REACTIVE DEVICE Robert D. Mees,Fort Wayne, Ind., and Charles M.

Marker, Schenectady, N. Y., assignors to General Electric Company, acorporation of New York Application December 29, 1953, Serial No.400,874 7 Claims. (Cl. 336192) This invention relates to reactivedevices and more particularly to reactive devices having tapped leadsconnected thereto. 1

Reactive devices, such as transformers, autotransfonners and reactorsare frequently provided with one or more tap leads connected to thewinding intermediate the ends thereof. The coils of larger reactivedevices are frequently formed of rectangular wire or bar stock. In thepast, these conductors have conventionally been copper and the necessarytap leads were merely brazed to the side or top of the conductor. It maybe desirable however, to utilize some conductive material other thancopper for the coils, such as aluminum. It has been found diflicult tosecure a satisfactory brazed connection to aluminum due to galvaniccorrosion. It is therefore desirable to provide an improved reactivedevice construction which does not require the use of brazed connectionsfor bringing out the tap leads. It is further desirable that such aconstruction facilitate the winding operation and that the tapconnections be substantiallyv corrosion free thus eliminating theformation of oxides and brittle joints.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide animproved-reactive device incorporating the desirable features set forthabove.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent byreference to the following description and the accompanying drawing, andthe features of novelty which characterize this invention will bepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and form ing apart of this specification.

This invention, in its broadest aspects, provides a reactive devicehaving a coil and a separate tap connection member for connecting thecoil to a tap lead, the tap connection member having a substantiallyT-shaped configuration. The coil is split into at least two sections andthe ends of the bar portion of the tap connection member arerespectively joined to one end of each of two of the coil sections. Theend of the leg portion of the tap connection member is then adapted tobe connected to a tap lead, or may serve as a tap terminal itself.

In the drawing, Fig. l is a fragmentary view in perspective, partlybroken away, illustrating a reactive device incorporating the improvedconstruction of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in perspective illustrating one type ofimproved tap connection in accordance with this invention; and

Fig. 3 is another fragmentary view in perspective illustrating anotherform of the improved tap connection of this invention.

Referring now to Fig. 1, there is shown a reactive device, generallyidentified as 1, shown here as being a transformer, having a coreportion 2 preferably formed of a plurality of relatively thinIaminations of magnetic material. The core 2 is surrounded by an innercoil 3, which may be the primary winding, which in turn is surrounded byan outer coil 4, which may be the secondary winding, the coils 3 and 4being separated by conventional spacers 5.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3 in addition to Fig. 1, it is seen thatthe coils 3 and 4 of the reactive device 1 are formed of conductors 6having a substantially rectangular cross section. 7 for the coils 3 and4, an individual turn 8, as shown in Fig. 2, from which the tap lead isto be taken, is split thus dividing the coil into at least two sections.A sep arate tap connection member 9 is provided having a leg.

portion 11 extending from a side edge of bar portion 10. The tap member9 is preferably formed of sheet material so that the bar portion 10 andthe leg portion 11 thereof.- have substantially rectangular crosssections correspond ing to the cross section of the conductor 6. In thealternative, tap connection member 9 may be fabricated from' a sectionof bar stock having a rectangular cross section with the leg portionbeing integrally joined thereto in any: suitable manner, such as heliumarc welding. The ends of the bar portion 19 are integrally joined to theends 12 of the two sections of turn 8 of the coil in any suit ablemanner, as at 13. These connections may be made,v in the case ofaluminum conductor, by resistance butt upset welding. In accordance withthis welding tech nique, current is passed through the joint and theresistance of the butt joint heats the adjacent areas to the desiredwelding temperature. Pressure is continuously applied by the weldingapparatus so that the ends are. forged together. Tap lead 14, alsohaving a substantially, rectangular cross section preferablycorresponding to.

the cross section of leg portion 11 of tap connection member 9, may thenbe similarly integrally joined to the leg portion 11 of tap connectionmember 9, as at 15.

It willbe seen in Fig. 2 that the portion 16 of turn 8 of the coil inwhich the tap connection member 9 is located is off-set from theremaining portion of the; turn as at 17, so that the leg portion 11 andtap lead 14." are spaced'from'the other conductors of the coil. Th'isf.off-set maybe sufficiently high to permit another tap 'con nection 18 tobe taken from an inner turn 19. A connection of this type may be used totake a tap lead fromthe top of the coil when the coil is edgewise wound,as

shown at 20 in Fig. 1 or, in the event that the coil is flat Wound, totake a tap lead from the side of the coil.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the particular turn 21'from which the tap leadis to be taken is again split to form two coil sections andsubstantially T-shaped tap connec: tion member 22 is provided'with theends 23 of its bar portion integrally joined to the ends 24 of conductor21, as. at 25. Here, the end 26 of the leg portion of tap connectionmember 22 may be formed at right angles to.

the plane, of conductor 21 so that the tap lead 28, which is integrallyjoined to end 25 of tap connection 22 as at 29, is parallel to the sideof the coil. Such a c'onnectiori may be used in an edgewise wound coil,as shown at 30 in Fig. l to take a tap connection from a side of thecoil. It will -be obvious that this construction may also be used formaking inter coil connections, as at 31 in Fig. 1. It will also beobvious that the leg portions 11 and 26 of the tap connection may beformed as terminals for direct connection of external leads instead ofhaving the tap leads l4 and 28 integrally joined thereto.

It will now be readily apparent that this invention provides an improvedreactive device construction wherein tap leads may be brought outwithout the use of joints subject to corrosion and brittleness.

While we have shown and described particular embodiments of thisinvention, further modifications and im:

. provements will occur to those skilled in the art and we In order toprovide tap connections.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. In a reactive device, a coil formed of a conductor having asubstantially rectangular cross section, and a.

from a side edge of its bar portion, said bar portion of said tapconnection member having a substantially rec1-- tangular cross section,said coil having at least two sections, the ends of said bar portion ofsaid tap connection member being respectively integrally joined to oneend of each of two of said' coil sections, the legportion of said tap,connection member being adapted to be connected. to said tap lead.

2. In a reactive device, a coil formed of a conductor having asubstantially rectangular cross section, and a tap connection member forconnecting said coil, to a tap lead, said tap. connection member havinga substantially T-shaped configuration with its leg portion extendingfrom a side edge of its bar portion, said bar portion and said legportion of said tap connection member having a.

substantially rectangular cross section, said coil having at least twosections, the ends of said bar portion of said tap connection memberbeing respectively integrally joined to one end of each of two of saidcoil sections, and a tap lead having a substantially rectangular crosssection integrally joined to the end of said leg portion of said tapconnection member.

3'. In a reactive device, a coil formed of a conductor having asubstantially rectangular cross section, and. a.

tap connection member for connecting said coil to a. tap lead, said tapconnecting member having a substantially T-shaped'configuration with itsleg portion extending, from a side edge of its bar portion, said barportion of, said tap connection member having a substantiallyrectangular cross section, said coil having at least two sections, theends of said bar portion of said tap connection member beingrespectively joined to one end of each of two of said coil sections,said leg portion of said tap connection member being adapted to beconnected to said tap lead, said leg portion extending at an angle tothe plane of said bar portion.

4. In a reactive device, a coil formed of a, conductor having asubstantially rectangular cross section, and a tap connection member forconnecting said coil to a tap lead, said tap connection member having asubstantially T- shaped configuration with its leg portion extendingfrom a side edge of its bar portion, said bar portion of. said tapconnection member having a substantially rectangular cross section, saidcoil having at least two sections,

the ends of said bar portion of said tap connectionmemher beingrespectively integrally joined to one end of each of two of said coilsections, said leg portion ofv said tap connection member being adaptedto be connected to said tap lead, said leg portion extending at rightangles to the plane of said conductor.

5. In a reactive device, a coil formed of a conductor having asubstantially rectangular cross section, and a tap connection member forconnecting said coil to a tap lead, said tap connection member having asubstantially T- shaped configuration with the leg portion extendingfrom a side edge of its bar portion, said bar portion of said tapconnection member having a substantially rectangular cross section, saidcoil having at least two sections, the ends of: said bar portion of saidtap connection member being respectively integrally joined to one endof. each of two of said coil sections, said leg portion of said tapconnection member being adapted to be connected to said tap lead, saidends of said coil sections to which said tap connection member is joinedbeing otf-set from the remainder of said coil sections, said leg portionof said connection member extending over said coil and being spacedtherefrom.

6. In a reactive device, a coil formed of a conductor having asubstantially rectangular cross section, a tap connection member forconnecting saidv coil to a tap lead, said tap connection member having asubstantially T-sha-ped configuration with its leg portion extendingfrom itsside edge of its bar portion, said bar portion and;

said leg portion of said tap connection member having,

a substantially rectangular cross section, said coil having at, leasttwo. sections, the ends of said bar portion of said. tapv connectionmember being respectively integrally joined tov one end of each of twoof said coil sections, the legv portion of said tap. connection memberextending; at right angles. to the plane of said bar portion, and a tap,lead having a substantially rectangular cross section integrally joinedto the end of said leg. portion ofv said tap connection member.

7. In a. reactive device, a coil formed ofa conductor having asubstantially rectangular cross section, a tap connection, member forconnecting said coil to a tap lead, said: tap connection member having asubstantially T- shaped configuration with its leg portion extendingfrom its side edge of its bar portion, said bar portion and said legportion of said tap connection member havinga sub.- stantiallyrectangular cross section, said coil having; at least two sections, theends of said bar portion of said tap connection member beingrespectively integrally joined toone end of each of two, of saidcoilsections, and a tap lead having asubstantially rectangular cross sectionintegrally joined to the end of said leg portion of said tap connectionmember, said endof said coil sections to which said, tap connectionmember is joined being oft-set from the remainder of said coil sections,said tap-lead extending over said coil and being spaced therefrom.

References Cited in the file ofv this patent UNIT ED. STATES. PATENTS

